Multiple filling grid



g- 3, 1954 J. w. LEVINE 2,685,395

MULTIPLE FILLING GRID Filed Jan. 31, 1951 zr I FIE-.2; /1;

INVEN TOR.

Patented Aug. 3, 1954 MULTIPLE FILLING GRID Jack W. Levine, Bayside, N. Y., assignor to .Le'Roy Food Products, 1110., Brooklyn, 'N. Y., a corporation of New York Application January 31, 1951,.Serial No. 208,734

3 Claims. 1

This invention relates to a multiple filling grid for filling a group of cartons with fluid ice cream or a similar fluid product, and more particularly, to a grid having means for maintaining the cartons and their upper edges in mutually abutting relationship so as to prevent the fluid product from accidentally entering spaces between the cartons and adhering to the-exteriorwallsurfaces of the carton.

In the prior art of simultaneously filling a group of cartons having open upper ends with a fluid product such as unfrozen ice cream, con siderable difficulties are presented by the tendency of some of the ice cream to enter the spaces between the cartons. This accidental and undesirable result is frequently caused by splashing of the fluid into the spaces or by accidental overflow of the fluid over the upper edges of the *open upper ends of the carton. Whenthe ice cream fluid thus enters the spaces betweenthecartons, itsubsequently hardens during the freezing operation and causes the cartons to adhereto :each other, making it extremely difficult to separate the cartons from each otherduring their subsequent manipulation. Furthermore, an ice cream or other fluid deposited on the exteriorsurfaces of the cartons renders them unsightly and requires eifort and expense in removal andcleaning in order to obtain a marketable carton'having a clean and presentable appearance.

It is thereforea primary object of the present invention to provide a multipl filling grid which will maintain the respective adjacent upper edges of the open ends of theadjacent cartons intightly compressed abutting relation so as to prevent the fluid from entering spaces between the cartons and adhering to the exterior wall surfaces thereof. This object is achieved in the disclosed embodiment of the present invention by providing grid elements of inverted V-Shape in crosssection and'having inclined surfaces adapted to engag the upper edges of the cartons and to wedge the latter together into compressed abutting relationship. It is to be understood that the particular structure disclosed is merely illustrative of one form which the invention may take in practice, since other similar means for moving the adjacent upper edges of the carton into mutually abutting relationship will readily occur to those skilled in the art.

In order to ensure the effective operation of these wedge-shaped grid elements, it is highly advantageous to provide the grid with a means for initially moving the cartons together to form a more compact group and for aligning the cartons in straight parallel rows, since the cartons must be fairly closeto each other and in proper alignment if the grid elementsare to properly engage the upper edges-of the carton open ends.

It is therefore a further object of the present invention to providea meansfor forming acornpact properly-aligned-group of the plurality of cartons. This meansisdisclosed in the form of a rectangular frame member-spaced beneath the grid elements and adapted to extend'around the group of cartons and to move them inwardly into a-compact aligned relationship.

Referring now to the drawing:

Figure l isa top plan view ofthemultiple grid embodying a preferred form of the invention;

Figure 2 is a vertical sectional view taken on the line 22 of Figure l;

I Figure 3 is a sideelevational view as seen from the left-hand side of Figure 1;

Figure 4 is a perspective view showing-a group of cartons mounted within-a holding tray;

Figure 5 -is-an enlarged sectional View of the wedge-shaped grid elements .and the adjacent upper edges of the carton open ends, said .upper edges being shown in spaced position before the wedge-shaped grid elements are moved downwardly so as to move the upper edges into the mutually abutting compressed relationship shown in Figure 2.

The multiple filling grid embodying the present inventionisindicated generally by the reference numeral Hand comprises a planar horizontal plate member I2having along a pair of opposite lateral edges two vertical upstanding flange members 13, M. The latter serve both as a reinforcing means for the plate 12 and also as a guide means for a multiple filling nozzle (not shown) which isadaptedto move over the plate 12 and between th flanges l3, 14. The righthand edge of plate 1.2 is provided with a horizontal flange l5 which serves as a handle for the manual manipulation'of thegrid II, also .as an apron upon which the fforwardmember l2 of a successive multiple grid. rests.

A plurality of openings 116 are provided in the plate 12in the following manner. The plate '12 comprisesa first series of longitudinally extending grid elements I! which are parallel .to and laterally spaced from each other. A second series of spaced parallel grid elements 18 extends perpendicular to the grid elements ll thereby providing a grid having a plurality of openings l6. As best seen in Figures 2 and 5, the grid elements l1, 18 are of inverted V-shape in crosssection so as to provide upwardly converging in- 3 clined portions, for a purpose to be described in more detail below.

A plurality of spacer elements l9 are secured at their upper ends to the plate H. by any suitable means such as riveting and extend downwardly from the plate l2 so as to support a frame member 20 in a position below and spaced from the plate H. The frame member 29 is of rectangular shape and comprises a horizontal section 2! secured to the lower ends of the spacer arms is, a vertical section 22, and an upwardlyinwardly inclined section 23.

The operation of the device will now be described. Referring first to Figure 4, there is shown a conventional tray 24 holding a lurality or group of cartons C. It will be noted that in order to provide for quick and easy placement of the cartons G into the tray 24, and also removal of the cartons C therefrom, substantial clearance or space is provided between the adjacent cartons G. Since, as stated above, it is of the utmost im portance that the fluid product with which the cartons are being filled be prevented from entering the spaces between the cartons, the multiple grid of the present invention is placed over the upper open ends of the cartons C and operates thereon in the following manner.

As the grid H is manually moved downwardly toward the group of cartons C, the upwardly-inwardly inclined section 23 of the frame member 29 will first contact the outermost surfaces of the outer cartons which extend around the periphery of the group. As the grid H continues to move downwardly, the inclined section 23 acts as a guide which enables the frame member 20 to be easily slipped over the group of cartons so as to surround same. The vertical section 22 of the frame member 20 eventually engages the cartons and forms them into a compact rectangular group of a series of straight, parallel and properly aligned rows, whereby the wedge-shaped grid elements 11, i8 may properly engage the upper edges of the carton open ends.

As shown in Figure 5, the upper edges C of the carton open ends are somewhat spaced from each other before engagement by the grid elements ll, l8. However, as the grid H and hence the grid elements I 7, [8 continue to move downwardly, the inclined portions of the grid elements l7, 18 will act as wedges or cams for moving the adjacent upper edges of the carton open ends together into compressed mutually abutting relationship, as shown in Figure 2 wherein the cartons C are shown in dashed lines.

It will thus be seen that the fluid ice cream or other fluid product when poured from above the plate I2 will flow downwardly through the openings 16 of the plate I2 so as to fill the cartons C. The grid elements l1, [8, in addition to guiding the fluid into the interiors of the cartons C and forming a covering preventing the fluid from flowing directly on to the upper edges of the carton open ends, also serve as a means for maintaining the upper edges in intimate contacting relationshi so as to prevent any accidental splashing or overflowing of the fluid into spaces between the exterior surfaces of the adjacent cartons.

It is to be understood that the specific embodiment of the invention shown in the drawing and described in the specification is intended to be merely illustrative rather than as limiting the scope of the invention, the latter being delineated in the appended claims.

Having described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is as follows:

1. A multiple filling grid for filling rectangular containers consisting essentially of a rectangular flat grid element having centrally disposed therein a plurality of rectangular openings and having a plurality of transverse inverted V-shaped bars integrally united to and disposed at right angles to a plurality of longitudinal inverted V-shaped bars, a pair of longitudinal flanges secured vertically and integrally to the longitudinal edges of said grid, a front transverse plate extending in front of said flanges and integrally secured to the front of said grid element disposed in a plane below that formed by the tops of the inverted V-shaped bars, said grid element having its back border adapted to be seated upon a transverse plate of an adjacent filling grid, a rectangular frame member having a centrally disposed rectangular aperture therein secured to and disposed beneath in spaced relation to said grid element, said rectangular aperture being ada ted to receive a tray having a plurality of rectangular cartons thereon, said frame member having an outwardly disposed peripheral skirt for guiding said plurality of cartons into said rectangular aperture of said frame member.

2. A multiple filling grid adapted for filling rectangular containers comprising a grid of transverse and longitudinal partitions, each of said partitions being of inverted V-shaped cross section, a pair of longitudinal side flanges disposed vertically to the plane of the grid and on each side of said grid, a front transverse plate, and a back transverse plate, said vertically disposed flanges being disposed over said back transverse plate, said V-shaped cross sections being adapted to effect wedging contact of the tops of the cartons.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 having a rectangular depending frame member, and a plurality of spacer elements adapted to secure said grid to said depending frame member, said depending frame member being a guide for aligning a plurality of oriented cartons held in a tray to effect wedging contact of the adjacent carton lips by the said inverted v-shaped partitions.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 578,985 Grove Mar. 16, 1897 1,560,050 Gearheart Nov. 23, 1925 2,155,336 Smith Apr. 18, 1939 2,365,920 Vaughn Dec. 26, 1944 2,441,774 Shaw et al. May 18, 1948 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 635,222 Germany Sept. 12, 1936 

